After narrowly beating the drop last term, it's a case of trying to build more solid foundations this time round.

Last season

It was by no means a good season for Kristianstad. With just three victories, they had little to celebrate in 2016, but by the end of it they were the ones who had ensured themselves another season in Sweden’s top flight. It went down to the wire, but KDFF managed to grind out a draw against Umeå IF in the final round, and when Mallbacken was simultaneously beaten by Rosengård, Kristanstad was the team that was left celebrating.

They scored just 18 goals last season, with was less than one a game, but with just 35 goals conceded, five teams had a worse defensive record than them. Johanna Rasmussen was the teams top scorer with five goals, and with three assists also topped the assist chart for the club.

Departures

Johanna Rasmussen has departed for Linköpings FC (and sadly torn her ACL), and considering she has been one of their best players, if not the best player, for a number of years, that is going to be a loss for Kristianstad. However, the Danish international is not the only departure this offseason.

Nellie Karlsson, Elin Karlsson and Lisa Karlsson have all joined Elitettan side Växjö DFF, while both Jenny Danielsson and Ida Guehai have joined Spanish teams in Sporting Huelva and Levante UD respectively. Stina Lykke Petersen, a Danish international, was brough in mid-season to cover for all of KDFFs injured keepers, and she has since left to joing KoldingQ in the Danish 3F liga. Erica Ekelund, who was on loan from FC Rosengård, has retired.

New season, new names

There are many new faces in the KDFF squad this year. Becky Edwards, who initially retired last year after a season with Orlando Pride in the NWSL, has been brought back for a third stint with KDFF. Another midfield acquisition is Rita Chikwelu from Umeå IK. Chikwelu might just be the Damallsvenskans best signing this offseason, and will be a welcomed addition to the KDFF midfield.

Kristianstad, as a consequence of losing Rasmussen and lacking goals last season, has brought in a number of attacking reinforcements; Hanna Sandström joins from Umeå IK, Ogonna Chukwudi from KIF Örebro, My Linderholm from Kullabygdens DFF, Rebecka Holm from FC Rosengård, while Belgian International Tine Schryvers joins from Norwegian team Vålerenga. The latest addition to the KDFF roster is Sanna Nilsson, who joined from Eskilsminne IF in march.

This season

KDFF is in for an interesting season. They’ve both gained and lost profiles, and with an entirely new forward line, there’s a lot of uncertainties. Sadly, one of those forwards, Tine Schryvers will miss most, if not all, of the season. Her absence is going to be a big miss. Their strongest point is definitely the midfield, not least thanks to the addition of Edwards and Chikwelu. Defensively they have a good line-up, but their problem is that they are severely lacking in defensive substitutes.

KDFF had horrible luck with injuries to their goalkeepers last season, but Brett Maron seems to be back and kicking, and it can only be a strength if she can guard the goal for an entire season and bring some stability to the team. A top half finish seems unlikely, but I doubt they will be as involved in the relegation fight as they were last season. A lot will depend on how the new attacking reinforcements settles.

Who to look out for

Rita Chikwelu was their big offseason signing, and if preseason is anything to go by, she is going to be a massive asset to Elisabet Gunnarsdottir’s side. Not only has she been a big influence in midfield, she has also been scoring plenty of goals. Another new signing, Ogonna Chukwudi, has potential to be a very good acquisition.

While she has a tendency to be very hot and cold, she brings both pace and strength to KDFF’s attack. Furthermore, she has experience, having played 129 matches in the league prior to this season. Another player with experience is Sif Atladottir. The Icelandic defender is entering her 7th season with KDFF, and she is an on field leader, and her importance cant be underestimated.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Brett Maron, Moa Olsson, Sara Mattsson.

Outfield players: Mia Carlsson, Therese Ivarsson, Sif Atladóttir, Lorca van de Putte, Diellza Mustafa, Kajsa Törnkvist, Ida Schele, Edona Karimani, Alice Nilsson, Tilda Persson, Rita Chikwelu, Amanda Edgren, Ogonna Chukwudi, Sofia Hagman, Becky Edwards, My Linderholm, Hanna Sandström, Rebecka Holm, Tine Schryvers, Elise Streimer, Sanna Nilsson.

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